“I thought we played great team basketball,” said Aldrdige, who had 31 points and 15 rebounds. “We talked coming into the game about making the extra pass, and if they loaded up on the defensive end, making the extra extra pass, and then we’d have wide-open shots. I thought guys did a good job of moving the ball tonight.”

Aldridge was one of four Portland players who had at least six assists, and the team totaled 32. As the Blazers shot 46 for 99 from the field, that means they had an assist on 69.6 percent of their made baskets.

“At halftime, I brought it up again about moving the ball. I thought guys thought they had great one-on-one game, but with this team, if you move the ball, then we’ll go from having a really good shot to a really great shot,” Aldridge said. “I thought guys really listened today. I thought guys made great reads in the second half.”

Ball movement has been one of the biggest factors in the Blazers’ success this season. Of their 2,968 made field goals this season, 1,760 had an assist, which is 59.3 percent. That ranks No. 10 in the NBA. The league leader is Atlanta 66.5 percent.

Aldridge, who leads the Blazers in field goal attempts and scoring, scores enough in isolated post-ups that Portland probably won’t get near the league lead or into the top five in the category. And the number isn’t vital to all teams. Oklahoma City (22nd at 56.2 percent), Houston (25th, 55.9) and Indiana (26th, 55.5) are all in the bottom third of the league but are considered elite teams.

But it’s very much an important statistic for the Blazers. Terry Stotts often says he would rather have his team get a good shot off a pass instead of off the dribble, and the numbers show why.

When the Blazers get assists on about 60 percent of their field goals, they seem at their best and their record is mostly very good. Consider how this season breaks down by month:

(January's record wasn't great, but the Blazers mostly played well and faced a tough schedule that month.)

Overall, the Blazers are at 60.7 percent (1,196 of 1,969) on getting assists on field goals in their 49 wins, 56.5 in (564 of 999) in their 27 losses, and their recent turnaround is even more telling.

During the Blazers’ recent three-game losing streak, they got assists on 55.3 percent of their field goals (52 of 94). During their current four-game winning streak, they are at 62.4 percent (98 of 157).